Germany Urges Iran to Allow Protests after Summoning Ambassador

People attend a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini in Tehran, Iran September 21, 2022. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
People attend a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini in Tehran, Iran September 21, 2022. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
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Germany Urges Iran to Allow Protests after Summoning Ambassador

People attend a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini in Tehran, Iran September 21, 2022. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
People attend a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini in Tehran, Iran September 21, 2022. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

Germany summoned the Iranian ambassador in Berlin on Monday in order to urge Tehran to stop its violent crackdown on nationwide protests over the death of a woman in police custody, the German foreign ministry said.

"We call on the Iranian authorities to allow peaceful protests and to not deploy further violence - in particular not fatal violence - against protesters," the ministry said on Twitter. "We also communicated that directly to the Iranian ambassador in Berlin today."

Asked about the possibility of further sanctions on Tehran in response to the violence, a ministry spokesperson had earlier said, "we will consider all options" with other European Union states.

Last week, the United States imposed sanctions on Iran's morality police over allegations of abuse of Iranian women.

Washington said it held the unit responsible for the Sept. 16 death of the 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini after she was detained by morality police enforcing the country's strict restrictions on women's dress.



Zelenskiy Says Ukraine's Membership of NATO is 'Achievable'

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks as he attends a European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Johanna Geron
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks as he attends a European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Johanna Geron
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Zelenskiy Says Ukraine's Membership of NATO is 'Achievable'

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks as he attends a European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Johanna Geron
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks as he attends a European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Johanna Geron

Ukraine's membership of NATO is "achievable", but Kyiv will have to fight to persuade allies to make it happen, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Ukrainian diplomats in a speech on Sunday.
Ukraine has repeatedly urged NATO to invite Kyiv to become a member. The Western military alliance has said Ukraine will join its ranks one day but has not set a date or issued an invitation.
Moscow has cited the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO as one of the principal justifications for its 2022 invasion. Kyiv says membership in the Western alliance's mutual defense pact, or an equivalent form of security guarantee, would be crucial to any peace plan to ensure that Russia does not attack again.
"We all understand that Ukraine's invitation to NATO and membership in the alliance can only be a political decision," Zelenskiy told diplomats at a gathering in Kyiv. "Alliance for Ukraine is achievable, but it is achievable only if we fight for this decision at all the necessary levels."
Zelenskiy said allies needed to know what Ukraine can bring to NATO and how its membership in the alliance would stabilize global relations, Reuters reported.
Last week, Zelenskiy urged European countries to provide guarantees to protect Ukraine after the war with Russia ends and said Ukraine would ultimately need more protection through membership of the alliance.